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Following a deeply frustrating Sunday on television duty, where he was forced to watch bitter rivals Celtic thrash Hearts 7-1 to stretch their advantage at the top of the Scottish Premiership, former Rangers striker Kris Boyd took time on Sky Sports to look back at events from Saturday night.
Appearing in the studio alongside former Celtic captain Scott Brown and Ryan McGowan, the Gers-daft pundit reexamined match footage from Rangers’ frustrating 2-2 draw with Dundee at Dens Park on 17 October. The result had brought a bitter end to Derek McInnes’ side’s impressive seven-game winning streak across all competitions, leaving supporters and pundits alike analysing where things went wrong on the road.
However, while the overall performance and dropping of two crucial points left plenty to be desired across the 90 minutes, Boyd made a point of reserving special praise for on-loan winger Badredine Bouanani. The talented attacker had dragged Rangers right back into the contest in the 42nd minute with an absolute moment of individual genius.
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Reviewing the entire sequence and build-up play live on air, Boyd pointed out the strong combination work from Rangers inside the final third before hailing Bouanani’s supreme composure, footwork, and technical skill to navigate tight spaces and find the top-left corner with a stunning left-footed curler.
Boyd said on Sky Sports Football: “This is a wonderful strike. [Ryan] Naderi does really well there with the layoff. Minsu Kim should do better, but take nothing away from Bouanani. First attempt blocked, and that summed up Dundee getting the bodies in front, but this strike, wow! Incredible. What a strike it is.”
Bouanani’s goal served as an essential lifeline in the late stages of the first half at Dens Park, cancelling out Bradley Fink’s 37th-minute opener and demonstrating the raw match-winning quality the Algeria international possesses in abundance.
His ability to react to a blocked initial attempt, quickly reset his feet, and curl a finish past the Dundee goalkeeper highlighted why Rangers fought so hard to secure his signature on deadline-day. Despite the squad’s defensive lapses elsewhere during the match, the Algerian’s individual moment provided a glimpse of the attacking threat McInnes can harness moving forward.
While dropping two vital Premiership points on the road made for a painful weekend for the Ibrox faithful, Bouanani opening his goalscoring account for the club stands out as a major bright spot. As Rangers prepare to dust themselves down and focus on their upcoming domestic fixtures, the winger’s explosive form will be key to getting their momentum back on track.